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We got our exercise balls and were excited to blow them up right away. We decided to purchase the Total Body Balance Ball Kit by Gaiam after reviewing the positive reviews on Amazon (80% gave it 4/5 stars out of 5 — 60% being a 5). The kit includes the ball, 2 DVD’s, inflation pump and a resistence band.

When we first inflated the balls they appeared to be blown up as far as they would go, but were much too small for us. Those who gave low reviews on Amazon often voiced this complaint. After researching on the web, I found that the material needs time to adjust and it was recommended that you wait 24-48 hours and then add the remaining air. Indeed we were able to inflate our balls to the appropriate sizes after waiting out the 48 hours.

The next challenge was determining how to tell if the ball was inflated to it’s size. My ball is 55cm and Bill’s is 65cm. The best way to measure is by placing the ball next to the wall, balance a ruler on top, mark the height on the wall, and measure the height. At maximum capacity, the balls will measure as follows:

Ball Size

55cm (22″)

65cm (26″)

75cm (30″)

You’ll want to inflate the ball to fit your body. When sitting on the ball your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees should be level or slightly lower than your hips. Additionally, if the ball is firmer the exercises will be more difficult – if softer the exercises will be easier.

Now that our balls are inflated, it’s time for us to go try them out. We’ll report back on our first experience and rate the included DVD’s on our next post.